Roller handle for saw

Abstract

A handle assembly for a portable powered saw of the chain saw type which has an inverted, generally U-shaped handle with its upper central portion extending over the saw and the depending legs extending downwardly along opposite sides of the saw with a roller rotatably mounted between the depending ends of the legs under the saw so that the saw can be rested on the roller and rolled along to make long cuts with the saw, yet the handle assembly can be used to completely support the saw manually in its usual manner.

I claim: 
     
       1. A saw construction including: a prime mover having a front end and a rear end with the center of gravity acting through a common axial plane;   a sawing assembly drivingly connected to and mounted on said prime mover, said sawing assembly including a cutting element having an effective cutting portion extending forwardly of the front end of said prime mover and adapted to cut in a cutting plane generally parallel to said common axial plane;   a rear handle connected to said prime mover and extending rearwardly of the prime mover along the common axial plane; and   a front handle assembly connected to said prime mover and located between the front end of said prime mover and the effective cutting portion of the cutting element of said sawing assembly, said front handle assembly including an inverted, generally U-shaped tubular handle comprising a central upper portion and depending legs at opposite ends thereof, said upper central portion located over said prime mover and said legs oriented on opposite sides of said prime mover and extending generally parallel to the common axial plane, a roller rotatably mounted between the depending ends of said legs about an axis of rotation oriented generally perpendicular to the common axial plane and the cutting plane to act as a guide and support for the saw construction, an upper brace connecting said upper central portion of said tubular handle to said prime mover, and a lower brace assembly connecting both of said depending legs of said tubular handle to said prime mover.   
     
     
       2. The saw construction of claim 1 wherein said tubular handle lies generally in a handle plane oriented generally normal to the common axial plane. 
     
     
       3. A saw construction including: a prime mover having a front end and a rear end with the center of gravity acting through a common axial plane;   a sawing assembly drivingly connected to and mounted on said prime mover, said sawing assembly including a cutting element having an effective cutting portion extending forwardly of the front end of said prime mover and adapted to cut in a cutting plane generally parallel to said common axial plane;   a rear handle connected to said prime mover and extending rearwardly of the prime mover along the common axial plane; and   a front handle assembly connected to said prime mover and located between the front end of said prime mover and the effective cutting portion of the cutting element of said sawing assembly, said front handle assembly including an inverted, generally U-shaped tubular handle comprising a central upper portion and depending legs at opposite ends thereof, said upper central portion located over said prime mover and said legs oriented on opposite sides of said prime mover and extending generally parallel to the common axial plane, and a roller rotatably mounted between the depending ends of said legs about an axis of rotation oriented generally perpendicular to the common axial plane and   the cutting plane to act as a guide and support for the saw construction; said roller including a roller tube, a pair of bearings mounted in opposite ends of said roller tube and a pair of screw assemblies mounting said bearings on the depending ends of said depending legs of said inverted, U-shaped tubular handle so that said roller tube is rotatable with respect to said screw assemblies.   
     
     
       4. A handle construction for a portable powered saw including: an inverted generally U-shaped tubular handle comprising a central portion and a pair of depending legs at opposite ends of said central portion, said depending legs oriented generally normal to said central portion and parallel to each other, and said central portion and said depending legs of said tubular handle lying in a common plane; and   a roller rotatably mounted between those ends of the said depending legs opposite said central portion, said roller including a roller tube; a pair of bearings mounted in opposite ends of said roller tube and mounting means operatively connecting said bearings to said depending legs of said tubular handle so that said roller tube is freely rotatable with respect to said depending legs of said tubular handle.   
     
     
       5. The handle construction of claim 4 further including upper attachment means mounted on said central portion of said tubular handle to operatively connect said handle construction to the saw and lower connecting means for operatively connecting each of said depending legs of said tubular handle to the saw to mount said handle construction on the saw.